Distant Bells
by neon.fall
Summary: What if one day I disappeared? And you turn back but can't find me. Will you worry? Haruka turns back one day and can't find Makoto.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Something Different

* * *

Note: This story is also posted on AO3 under neon189 if anyone is wondering.

* * *

It wasn't as if Makoto didn't see it. He was actually the first who noticed the bond between Haru and Rin, a bond born like a storm that left residues when it receded. Because of Rin, Haru changed. Because of Rin, a spark was born in Haru. The Haru who lived day to day, swimming only because he liked to, because he wanted to, changed. His eyes would widen as he watched Rin swim. After racing each other, reflected in Haru's eyes is the joy of having a rival who loved swimming as much as he does. After practice, Haru who always biked home started running. He became competitive.

At first, Makoto was glad that Haru was changing. Haru who never made the effort to socialize was finally opening up. When Rin moved away, he was sad that he wouldn't get to see a dear friend again. He was worried about Haru though. However, as days passed by, other than being sad like the rest of the team, Haru didn't change. Then came the day Haru quit swimming competitively. Makoto never asked since he knew that it wasn't his business no matter how worried or curious he was. Deep down though, he already knew that the reason had to do with Rin, though he knew not what.

When Rin came back, he was genuinely happy. Seeing an old friend is always a good thing in Makoto's books. Even knowing this affected Haru the most, he was glad. Because they're friends and Makoto didn't want bad feelings between friends.

After the relay race, things were going well. Haru and Rin were hanging out more often. They were always finding time to race and train w/ each other. It wasn't as if it was just the two of them though, it was the whole team. Makoto expected this. He expected this. Of course, it didn't mean that it would hurt less. Makoto has always known that the only one who could awaken such passion for swimming in Haru was Rin. It could never be Makoto, because he was scared of the ocean and any big body of water in general. He was scared, but he was more scared of not being able to be beside Haru. Haru was special, that's why he tried so hard.

Months passed and Haru and Rin grew closer. It wasn't until the first summer of their 3rd year that it was actually official. Makoto was happy for Haru. However, it wasn't until that summer that he finally realized; he was alone. For the first time in his life, he felt completely lonely. Even when he was with the team, he was lonely.

* * *

Climbing those familiar set of stairs was agonizing for Makoto. It felt like an eternity before he arrived at Haru's front door. This time, he didn't barge in as he usually did. This time, he waited.

"Hey, Haru-chan."

"Why didn't you just come in? The door isn't locked. And don't call me Haru-chan." Haru said with a small pout.

They both moved into the living room in silence. For some reason, there was an awkward air between them. Haru didn't like it but he didn't know what to do about it. Makoto broke the silence.

"Haru seems fine without me now. I'm glad."

"What do you mean?" Haru's heart became uneasy. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

"Nothing. I just meant that now there's Nagisa, Rei, and Rin by your side now. I'm glad. I would be sad if Haru had no other friend than me."

Haru looked down. "I'm glad they're here as well. However, I don't mind if I only had Makoto. Makoto knows me best after all."

There was sadness in Makoto's eyes but he covered it up before Haru looked up and notice. "Of course. How is it going with Rin?"

"It's fine. It's difficult sometimes, but fine." For some reason Haru never liked to talk about his relationship with Rin when Makoto was around. He always felt uneasy. "We always argue about some things though."

Makoto chuckled and asked, "Not about swimming though right?"

"No, not about swimming."

"I'm glad. I just came to check on how you were doing. Since I have a lot of chores to do back at the house, I'll be leaving now."

Haru walked Makoto to the door. Watching Makoto put on his shoes with a feeling of unease in his heart. He had a feeling that he should say something but he didn't know what.

"Bye, Haru-chan." Makoto said as he left.

Haru's eyes widened. Why did Makoto say goodbye? He was about to call out but a ringing from the living room made him stop.

* * *

Standing in front of the train with a luggage at his side, Makoto said his farewells to his family and friends. He received warm hugs from his parents, promising them that he'll take care of himself and call them every night if he can. There was a tearful goodbye from the twins, refusing to let go of their precious older brother. One by one, he hugged Nagisa, Rei, Kou, and Ama-sensei.

"Did you really not tell Haru that you're leaving for Tokyo today?" Nagisa asked.

"I didn't have the heart to tell him directly that I was leaving. I did say goodbye though. In addition, I sent a message to Rin this morning. Since he has swimming practice he probably didn't get it yet." Makoto forced a smile. "Please look after Haru for me."

"Makoto, you can cry you know. I'm your oldest friend after Haru. I know."

"Don't worry Nagisa. I already cried, not because I'm strong, but because I'm weak. That's why I decided to participate in the exchange program to Tokyo. I want to be stronger. However, I probably won't be able to grow if I stay here. I decided to go to a different place in hopes that I could become a different person than I am now. Stronger. Happier. Don't worry. I definitely will be fine. Moreover, it's only for one semester. I'll be back before you know it."

"I believe in you, Makoto-sempai. There's no way that someone like you won't be happy. I'll be cheering you on." Kou said.

"Me, too. I hope everything goes well for you in Tokyo. Study well. Eat well. And make lots of friends sempai." Rei said.

"Thank you everyone." Makoto smiled. It was probably the first genuine smile that graced his face in a long while. At that moment, he felt truly happy that he had such great friends.

* * *

Ama-sensei and Kou left for home while Nagisa and Rei decided to accompany the Tachibana family to their house. After saying farewell at the door, they turned to leave and saw Haruka at the gate.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked.

"We just came from the train station with the Tachibana family and decided to walk them back since we were going to see you anyways." Answered Nagisa.

'The train station? Why would they go there?' "Why are you leaving so early then? We can all hang out here with Makoto."

Nagisa and Rei stayed quiet and glanced at each other.

Seeing them do that, Haruka felt uneasy. Something was wrong. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

Nagisa elbowed Rei.

After a moment, Rei finally relented and answered, "Haruka-sempai… we went to see Makoto-sempai off. He's attending a school in Tokyo for this upcoming semester."

Haruka's eyes widened in shock. The only thing going through his mind was "Makoto left." The only thing he could hear was the pounding of his heart. The only thing he could feel was panic.

His cell phone rang. He didn't pick up.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Gone With The Wind

* * *

Note: Thank you everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorite my story. I appreciate all of you so much. Now to all of you who are sad about the RinHaru in episode 12, let me tell you, don't let it get you down. I myself don't hate the pairing. I like the artwork and I blog about it on tumblr. But the reason that I got all grumpy with the pairing was that almost everyone, RinHaru and MakoHaru, kinda forgot about the rest of the 11 episodes that happened. Everyone is all "OMG! EPISODE 12."

Please have a little faith in your ships. Kyo-Ani did a great job with the plot and the characters considering it's only 12 episodes and they wouldn't do a dick move as suddenly make RinHaru official. And let me remind you that there's officially no canon pairing b/c first and foremost this series was about friendship and getting over one's fears and growing. Officially it's all fan service.

Regarding MakoHaru, I feel like it had more substance and attention than RinHaru. Every episode and almost every artwork threw in a subtle or obvious MakoHaru in it. It was always there whether in the forefront or the background. Kyo-Ani even says that between RinHaru, they consider them as good friends who work well together but b/c they have conflicting personalities they also have their fights. Between MakoHaru, they are regarded by Kyo-Ani as one set who they can't write one without the other. B/c of this it's easy to write the two as a married couple. They are a "telepathic pair" who's presence beside each other is never questioned b/c it's just natural for them to be together. Between MakoHaru, they will always need each other. I find it a dick move if they actually made RinHaru official because between the two pairings they built up MakoHaru the most. It would be bad writing on Kyo-Ani's part if they gave attention to one pairing more than the other but made the other pairing official.

Now that's the end of my thoughts. Thank god for tumblr. You'll find a lot of this stuff floating around there.

* * *

I've got my ticket for the long way 'round

Two bottle whiskey for the way

And I sure would like some sweet company

Oh, I'm leaving tomorrow. What do you say?

It was a one-hour ride on the train from Iwatobi to Tottori Airport. It would have taken less time if he went by car but his parents had work later and he didn't want to disturb them. It took a long time convincing them but they finally relented. His father convinced that his boy was growing up to be an independent man, was the first to surrender. His mother was a little harder. She cried and cried that her baby was going to live elsewhere, even if it was only for a little while. With the help of his father, he was able to calm her down. He was sad. His parents were a constant support in his life. Even though they would continue to be so, they wouldn't be by his side. And the twins, he wondered if they would be all right without him. He hoped they would be.

When I'm gone (when I'm gone)

When I'm gone (when I'm gone)

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

His thoughts went to Haru. Would he really be fine without him? Who would drag him out of the bath in the mornings? Who would make sure he ate something other than mackerel? Who would pull him out of the pool when it was getting dark? Then he remembered that Rin was there. Rin was by Haru's side, not Makoto. He felt a searing pain in his heart. He was so lonely, so lonely that he wanted to cry again, to give up. Makoto's special person is Haru. But Haru's special person wasn't Makoto. Love is a beautiful thing they said. Being in love was a wonderful state to be in they said. What they didn't say was how painful it would be, if you were the only one.

You're gonna miss me by my hair

You're gonna miss me everywhere,

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

'I won't cry. I won't cry. I'll be strong. I'll be happy. One day, definitely, I'll be happy. Don't cry. Don't cry.'

I've got my ticket for the long way 'round

The one with the prettiest view

It's got mountains, it's got rivers

It's got woods that give you shivers

But it sure would be prettier with you

That's right, he reminded himself. He will definitely be happy one day, with or without Haru. He'll eat well. Study well. Laugh well. Cry well. Live well. And when he meets Haru again, he hopes that he'll be able to congratulate Haru with a genuine smile. One day, one day, he'll definitely be able to do it.

When I'm gone (when I'm gone)

When I'm gone (when I'm gone)

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

* * *

Haru had plans to go swimming with Rin today. But after hearing the news about Makoto, he suddenly lost all urges to do anything. How odd. Whenever he was troubled, Haru could always count on water to clear his thoughts. But today, water couldn't console him. Nothing could calm the thundering of his heart or the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

You're gonna miss me by my walk

You'll miss me by my talk

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone 

Makoto was always there beside him. There wasn't a time in which he remembered that Makoto wasn't there with him. When did they meet? Where did they meet? Both Haru and Makoto couldn't remember anymore. It didn't bother them. They just accepted that they were always part of each other's lives. 

I've got my ticket for the long way 'round

These feet weren't built to stay too long

And I'll go there on my own

But you'll miss me when you're home

It's for you, dear, that I sing this song 

But Makoto wasn't here anymore. Haru didn't expect to be in a situation where Makoto wasn't there. He'd always expected that no matter what happens, there will always be water and there will always be Makoto. But now, there was only water, and everything felt so wrong, so empty. 

When I'm gone (when I'm gone)

When I'm gone (when I'm gone)

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone 

He looked at his cell phone. There were six missed calls and five unopened emails from Rin. There were three emails from Nagisa and two from Rei. They were probably worried about him. He felt bad. He should send a message telling them he was fine. But he wasn't. He wasn't fine. Not fine at all. 

You're gonna miss me by my hair

You're gonna miss me everywhere

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone 

TO: Rin

I'm at home. Can we see each other another time? I don't feel so well.

FROM: Haru 

When I'm gone

When I'm gone

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone 

He decided to take a bath, hoping that he would feel a little better and think a little clearer afterwards. Minutes passed by. When he came to, the water was cold and his fingers were wrinkled. Strange, his fingers never got wrinkled when he was taking a bath. Makoto would always come and pull him out. That's right. Makoto would pull him out. But Makoto wasn't here anymore. Haru cried. 

You're gonna miss me by my walk

You'll miss me by my talk

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone.


	3. Chapter 3

It was different in Tokyo. Everything was faster, busier, more crowded. He passed by more people than he did in a week back in Iwatobi. Buildings lined the horizon, small ones, medium ones, big ones, skyscrapers. Makoto felt like he stepped into another world. He felt lost and scared, but beside those feelings, there was also excitement. There are so many things to do, places to see, and people to meet. Things were off to a good start. Makoto felt this was going to be a fun-filled semester.  
_

When Makoto first exited the gate to the waiting area, he wondered how he was going to get to the hostel he was staying at for the semester. He received a message saying that someone was going to be waiting for him with a sign of his name. He looked everywhere. Was it possible that they forgot about him?

"Excuse me."

The voice came from beside him. Makoto spun around searching for the owner but couldn't find him.

"I'm right here."

Makoto looked down. There was a boy with light blue eyes staring up at him. What was strange was that his hair was also the same color.

"EHHHH? When did you appear?"

"I was here for quite a while now. You didn't seem to notice me but that's all right. It happens a lot. I'm use to it. You're Tachibana Makoto correct?"

It was then that Makoto noticed the sign the boy was holding, it had his name on it. "Ahhh! Yes, that's right. How do you do? My name is Tachibana Makoto. Please take care of me."

"My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. Pleased to meet you. You don't have to be so formal with me since we'll be living together."  
_

On the way to the Kuroko household Makoto was given a lecture on 'Living in Tokyo 101.' It was a lot to take in, especially about the trains. In Iwatobi there was only one train that took you everywhere and if you didn't want to take the train, then you walk. In Tokyo, there were dozens of trains, JR East, JR West, and then there were stuff about transferring to another train. Makoto felt like his head was going to explode.

"Don't worry about it. It all seems difficult at first but you'll get use to it. The signs are pretty easy to understand and if you get lost you can always ask someone." Kuroko said.

Makoto thought he was an interesting boy. He was very similar to Haru but also very different. They both sported a deadpan expression that rarely changes and both had blue eyes. However, Haru's was a blue the color of the ocean while Kuroko's was a blue the color of the sky. In Makoto's opinion, they were both beautiful and suited their respective owners. Another difference was the presence of both. Haru was easily noticeable, what with all the times he made a ruckus when trying to take off his clothes. Moreover, since he spends half his day wearing nothing but his jammers, if girls didn't squeal over him then Makoto would wonder what is wrong with the world. Kuroko on the other hand, Makoto lost sight of five times even though he was standing right next to him. Makoto was always conscious about other people so he swore to himself that he'd definitely get use to Kuroko.  
_

The Kuroko family was a warm one. Kuroko's parents reminded Makoto of his own. Kind, warm, but also a bit absent minded when it came to their son. It seems that they still tend to forget Kuroko was in the room with them sometimes. Kuroko didn't mind and the two made up for it by doting on him whenever they do notice him as an apology. Interacting with them made him a bit homesick. It also reminded him that he should call his family to let them know he had arrived to Tokyo safe and sound. Makoto liked Kuroko's grandmother the most though. She reminded him of Haru's grandmother, another similarity between them. Unlike other people, she never lost sight of Kuroko. Kuroko loves her dearly. Makoto lost sense of time, spending time with the family and getting to know them. Their company was like a balm to Makoto's soul. He felt like they would become very dear to him as his own family.

Upstairs in the guest room his cell phone rang and rang and rang.

Two Missed Calls: Haru  
_

Why wasn't Makoto picking up the phone? Was he all right? Did he get to Tokyo unharmed? Was he lost? Has he eaten anything yet? Is he avoiding me? Does he hate me? These thoughts and more swirled in his head. His heart thundered and the unsettling feeling in his stomach grew worse as he listened to the constant ringing on the other end of the line. The thought of not hearing Makoto's voice terrified him. Makoto's presence by his side was always Haru's comfort. The same could be said for Makoto. However, it was different now. Makoto who clung to Haru when he was scared didn't need him anymore. Haru always thought Makoto was the dependant one. That isn't true though. Haru was always the one dependant on Makoto.

The line finally picked up. "Haru-chan?"

Haru's eyes brightened.

* * *

Note: I agonized over whether I should make this a crossover with Kuroko no Basket or should I create my own characters. I decided to go with the former. Thinking up the details to fill in my plot is already difficult enough with all the schoolwork I have. Making time to think up entirely new characters would short circuit my brain. I hope every one reading my story isn't turned off by it. On the other hand, KUROKO NO BASKET SEASON 2!


	4. Chapter 4

He liked watching movies. It was listed right below water, chores, and video games. Haru was waiting for Rin to get food and drinks for their date at the movies. He didn't feel like going anywhere. However, since he had blown off their date the day before, he had felt guilty. Moreover, it wasn't as if things were going to get better if he just stayed home and moped. He let Rin decide what to do since he didn't really care. Actually, he would prefer it if they raced each other or just swam in general but Rin already does that almost every day so Haru decided something different was fine. Shopping was out of the question. They would probably head straight to the swim section and top-notch accessories and suits were quite expensive. Their parents would give them a lecture if they used more money on swim stuffs, which they already did at the beginning of summer. Music they could just download it free. Amusement parks are more fun when going with more than two people and the others already had plans of their own. So Rin decided on going to the movies hoping that it would distract Haru. Moreover, there was a movie he wanted to see.

Haru didn't care much for the movie. It was about a racecar driver and the only sports movies or shows he likes are all about swimming. However, there's not many about swimming sadly. He didn't mind watching it though. Since he had no interest in it then he'll probably just doze off without Rin noticing…hopefully.

"Haru, we should get our seats before they're all filled up." Rin walked towards him with drinks and a big bag of popcorns. Haru didn't understand why they had to hurry. It was probably not going to be full.

Haru followed him silently. They found a seat way in the back near the aisle. Waiting for the movie to start got him thinking about the phone call he had with Makoto.  
_

"Haru-chan?" Makoto's voice quelled the unease inside Haru.

"Makoto…" Haru tried to find words but he couldn't think of anything. He didn't even pout and berate Makoto for calling him Haru-chan. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to ask that he didn't know where to start. Nevertheless, typical Makoto, he always knew what was on Haru's mind even if they weren't face to face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about moving to Tokyo. I felt that it would be harder for me to leave if you knew and came to see me off. I was scared that I would start doubting my decision and change my mind."

Haru swallowed a sob. "When did you make this decision?"

"Before the end of our 2nd year. Ama-sensei knew of my desire to study at a university in Tokyo. She asked me if I wanted to study here for a semester to see what it would be like living in the big city. I felt like it was time to leave and so I took it."

'Leave? Why? What about me?' He left this unspoken. He wasn't confident that it wouldn't come out in broken sobs.

"I knew you would be saddened by my decision. Moreover, you're probably more saddened that I kept it from you. I'm sorry. Nevertheless, I truly felt like I had to leave in order to find myself. We've been together for almost all of our lives, never truly leaving each other's side. I felt like our growth would be stunted if we didn't spend some time apart. We're not children anymore. Soon we'll be going off on different paths. Before I make my final decision on my future, I wanted to see what it would be like living without you. Think of it as a test. It'll be different without you. However, I'll be fine. I'm living with the family of one of the students at my school. His name is Kuroko Tetsuya. He reminds me of you, but also not. He's different. I think we'll probably get along well. Don't worry about me. Enough about me. How about you? I know you probably didn't take me leaving well, but are you taking care of yourself? Are you eating well? Did you stay in the tub long? Is…it going all right with Rin?"

'Time apart? Stunted growth? Future?' Thoughts of what Makoto said swirled in Haru's head. He didn't' want to spend any time apart from Makoto. Even if they took different paths, he wanted his path to be parallel with Makoto. Moreover, without Makoto, he had difficult socializing with anyone. What is he going to do for the semester? Every day would be boring and frustrating.

"Haru?"

"Everything is fine." 'No, nothing is fine.' "I hope you have fun." 'Please come back.'

"Haru…"

Damn. It was times like these that he didn't like their bond. Sometimes there were things he really wanted to keep hidden from everyone but Makoto would instinctively know something was wrong. Speaking of their bond, it usually goes both ways, but why didn't he feel anything from Makoto? The only time that he felt something was wrong was the night before he left.

"I'll be fine. Have fun. When you want to talk, you can call me anytime. I'll keep my phone with me."  
_

The movie ended. Haru was lucky that he caught himself and paid attention during the last few minutes of the film. They waited until they were one of the last people in the theater before getting up from their seats.

"That was awesome wasn't it? If I didn't like swimming so much I would probably try my hand at racing."

"It was okay." Haru lied. He didn't want Rin to feel bad if he found out he didn't pay any attention at all.

"Do you want to go eat?"

"I'm already full from the popcorn. Let's just –"

RING…

Haru's phone rang. He quickly picked it up without looking at the caller id. "Hello?"

"Haru? This is Makoto's mother."

"Oh…hello."

"Are you free? Unfortunately, Miyazawa-san from down the street hasn't been feeling well so I'm taking her to the clinic. I don't know how long it will take so I don't want to take the twins with me. However, with Makoto gone there's no one to look after them now. If you're free can you come and babysit them?"

"Ok. When will you be going?"

"Within the hour. Can you make it?"

"I'll be there."

"Thank you so much. Haru, since Makoto is in Tokyo, you can depend on us a little. To us, you're family."

"Hai." Haru hung up.

"Is everything ok?" Rin asked.

"Yeah. There's something I have to do. Let's split up here."

Rin looked like he was going to protest but after a moment said, "Ok. We'll talk later then."  
_

Taking care of the twins was a handful. Usually he had Makoto with him so he didn't have to exert much energy. He finally got them to take a nap after they entered into an argument about who could talk to Makoto first. Unfortunately for them, they both didn't get to even make a call. They ended up crying over how lonely it was that Makoto wasn't there with him and all Haru could do was sympathize and console them as they clung to his arms. After making sure that the twins were tucked in their beds, he made his way to Makoto's room. Everything was the same. It was like Makoto never left. Haru ended up falling asleep from exhaustion on Makoto's bed, wearing Makoto's favorite orange shirt that he always ended up borrowing whenever he was over. He breathed in Makoto's comforting scent before falling into an easy sleep.

* * *

NOTE: This chapter ended up taking me a few hours to write because of all the tv series I've been catching up on. I hope you enjoy it. As for me, I have a feeling that something's missing but I want to get this chapter up before going to class. And damn...Rin is so difficult for me to write. Maybe that's why I felt like something is missing. Oh well.

And speaking of tv series, tonight Agents of Shield and The Originals are airing at the same time and I can't decide what to watch. Secret agents with all these awesome tech or vampires and magic? Please help me decide by commenting. Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

The next day was filled with new sights and sounds for Makoto. In the early morning, Kuroko took him to his boyfriend's house. Kagami Taiga was everything that Makoto thought he would be. Tall, imposing, and with the intensity of a tiger. However, he was also friendly with a great talent at cooking and cleaning. On the way, Kuroko explained that he also had a dog, a Siberian husky named Tetsuya #2. He didn't know if Makoto was good with dogs so he had Nigou stay with Kagami for a couple days. Apparently, it seems like Makoto had an affinity with all animals, not only cats. One sniff of his hand and Nigou was barking happily at his feet, wanting to be picked up and petted. After a hearty breakfast made by Kagami (in which case Makoto stared for a whole minute while Kagami shoveled food into his mouth) all four of them went sightseeing. Actually, it was Makoto who was sightseeing with Nigou snuggled in his arms and the other two acting as guides (Kagami was less of a guide and more of a tag-a-long).

The first place they went to was Ueno Park. They went to the National Museum and ate some snacks at Ameya-yokocho. The grilled mochi was so amazing that Kagami had three servings. Next, they spent a few hours at the zoo. It was packed with tourists and families bringing their kids to have fun before school starts in a few days. Next, they stopped at Meiji Shrine, each praying for good things for themselves and the people they love. Both Kagami and Kuroko noticed the wistful look Makoto had on his face as he finished his prayer but they didn't comment on it. Nigou whined at his feet, sensing the sadness that emanated from Makoto.

"Are you tired, Tachibana-senpai?" Kuroko asked.

"No, no. I'm just a bit homesick. It's the first time in my life that I've really been away from home." Makoto said.

"It'll get better. The first time I came here, I had a bit of a culture shock. It took some time getting use to but I've come to like living here." Kagami said.

The rest of the day was spent shopping at Shibuya and window-shopping at Ginza. Makoto gazed in awe at all the brand name stores that lined the streets. He wondered if he would ever have the chance to buy expensive stuff for his family. A tie for his dad, a Louis Vuitton handbag for his mom. The twins would have to wait a few more years. Ran might decide she wanted to be a tomboy and Ren will hit his growth spurt (he always hoped to be like his precious brother Makoto).

They decided to have dinner at a sushi place in Ikebukuro before heading back home. Kagami became friends with the owner so he got a discount. As they walked to the sushi place (Makoto wondered why they would name it Russia Sushi), they heard a ruckus nearby like something (it ended up being a vendor) being thrown. The spectacle that greeted them was a slim black haired man being chased by a blond haired bartender.

"IZAYAAAAAAAAAA!"

"What's going on?" Makoto asked, bewildered."

"It's a common occurrence here in Ikebukuro. Very entertaining to watch. I wonder if I could learn how to do that." Kuroko said.

"You don't have the stamina to do parkour." Kagami said with a drawl.

"My stamina's much better now thanks to basketball training and Kagami."

At the insinuation, both of the taller boys' faces turned a deep red that Kuroko wondered if they were going to faint.

"DON'T SAY STUFF LIKE THAT IN PUBLIC STUPID, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT DEADPAN EXPRESSION OF YOURS." Kagami yelled, although there was no anger in his tone.

"It's Kagami that's calling all of the attention. No one notices me anyway so they probably won't care if I said I enjoy it when Kagami marks m—"

Kagami covered the smaller boy's mouth and dragged him into the restaurant before they made even more of a ruckus. Makoto followed behind them with a smile and his face less red than before, not forgetting to put Nigou in Kuroko's sports bag that they brought with them.

As the day ended, Kagami went his separate ways but not before giving Kuroko a deep kiss goodbye. Makoto turned away to give them some privacy.

"Did you have fun Tachibana-senpai?" Kuroko asked.

"Yes. There's so much to do in Tokyo. It's all overwhelming since Iwatobi is such a small town. I think I'll enjoy my stay here greatly."

"I'm glad. There's more to do before school starts. I'll take you to see more temples tomorrow and we'll probably go to Shinjuku as well."

"That means we'll both have to get a full night of rest. What about Nigou? He doesn't seem to want to part from me."

"It's fine. Dogs can sense when you're sad. Nigou wants to stay with you because he can sense that there's some sadness about you."

"You noticed?"

"People leave me alone because they don't notice me so it gives me a change to observe them. I'm very good at it."

Makoto retreated to his room and set Nigou down on his bed before making his way to the bathroom. He was going to call his family after taking a shower but ended up falling asleep right after his head hit the pillow. He fell asleep to the sensation of Nigou curling against his stomach.


End file.
